Sandro Tonali has revealed that talking to fellow gambling addicts on Tyneside helped him to remove ‘an enormous block’ – and says he now feels like a new signing for Newcastle United.

The Italian will return from a 10-month ban for illegal betting at Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening. He has not played since October and had appeared just 12 times for the Magpies following his £52million move from AC Milan last July.

Part of Tonali’s rehabilitation involved meeting with others suffering from the same illness, and the 24-year-old said: ‘Talking helps a lot. In the first three months, I met a lot of people with ordinary jobs, especially in Newcastle, who had this problem and had never spoken before now. They did so when my problem was made public. After this they decided to get help and stop bottling things up, and this made me very happy.

‘The first step is being able to talk about this huge thing you’re carrying inside of you, that you’ve never had the courage to do before. You have this enormous sort of block. Talking is the biggest step to resolve the problem.’

Tonali has thanked his manager Eddie Howe, team-mates and the club’s fans for the support they have shown him during his ban, as he said: ‘I am excited because I think I am a new player, a new transfer. I only played eight (Premier League) games last season, that was so difficult for me. I am excited to be here in Newcastle, not in another place because I have a top team, top fans and I can’t wait to come back on the pitch.

‘Ten months is a long time because a footballer lives for the weekend. All the people who work at Newcastle were always by my side, from day one in October. I have never been alone in this 10 months. 

‘This is so important. It was very, very difficult for me in October and November and December. Now, I feel it is a new time. This is another point of my life.

‘There isn’t a single person who didn’t show me their support – the same with the fans. They gave me the same love they’d have given me if I’d been here 10 years. This made me realise what the Newcastle fans are made of. I don’t think you get this in another city. I have thought a lot about this.’

Tonali added: ‘Eddie has been my first friend at Newcastle. I have spoken with him every day for 10 months. Also, the first game I could not play, against Wolves, I was in Wolverhampton with the team. Bruno (Guimaraes) and Joelinton helped me all through the night before the game. They stayed with me. They are top people. I want to thank my manager, my team and the fans.’